Phosphorylated multiwalled carbon nanotube-cyclodextrin polymer: Synthesis, characterisation and potential application in water purification

Abstract

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were synthesised by the nebulised spray pyrolysis method and purified to remove amorphous carbon and fullerenes. The purified multiwalled carbon nanotubes were oxidised using a 3:1 H2SO4/HNO3 mixture to introduce carboxylic groups and to a smaller extent hydroxyl groups on the walls of the carbon nanotubes. Subsequently, the oxidised carbon nanotubes were chlorinated using oxalyl chloride to generate acyl chloride groups through which phosphorylation took place. 4-Aminophenyl methylphosphonate was attached to the multiwalled carbon nanotubes via an amidation reaction. FT-IR and XPS confirmed the presence of PO, PO and PCP functional groups in the phosphorylated carbon nanotubes. Polymerisation of the phosphorylated carbon nanotubes with cyclodextrins was achieved using hexamethylene diisocyanate as a bifunctional linker. Surface morphology of the polymer was investigated by SEM while FT-IR was used to confirm the polymerisation reaction. Moreover, the thermal stability of the polymer was probed using TGA while BET was employed to determine the surface area and pore volume of the polymer. Furthermore, the polymer was tested for the removal of cobalt and 4-chlorophenol from synthetic aqueous solutions of the pollutants. The polymer displayed potential as an adsorbent for both cobalt and 4-chlorophenol.